Alamance-Burlington school system reported Tuesday that a cluster involving six cases of COVID-19 had been identified at Southern High School, after three employees and three students tested positive.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) defines a cluster as five or more cases of COVID-19 that are confirmed in a daycare or school setting over a 14-day period and share a common link.
End-of-course exams are currently being administered on-campus at Southern High School and the other five traditional high schools, ABSS officials said Tuesday.
The cluster that was identified at Southern High School is in addition to COVID-19 clusters that were previously identified at three other ABSS schools last month. These include: South Graham Elementary School (nine employees tested positive); E.M. Yoder Elementary School (four employees and two students tested positive); and Highland Elementary School (five employees tested positive), according to the school system and the semi-weekly report on clusters that NCDHHS publishes.
School board members had previously approved a plan to resume some workouts, practice sessions, and matches for high school sports in November, with the requirement to adhere to COVID-19 safety guidelines developed by the N.C. High School Athletics Association (NCHSAA).
However, ABSS suspended practices and matches at the high schools this week, due to a “dead period” required under NCHSAA rules. The dead period runs through Friday, January 15.
